Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Miami Dolphins

Recap: Jaguars collapse in second half, fall to Dolphins 20-17

It was not the high-scoring affair between two of the NFL’s highest-paid quarterbacks some might have envisioned.

Instead, Jacksonville’s season-opening matchup with Miami dragged on from start to finish. Little by little, the Jaguars lost their grip on a 17-7 halftime lead until the Dolphins secured a 20-17 victory as time expired, completed by a 52-yard field goal from kicker Jason Sanders.

Four punts, one turnover on downs and one devastating fumble by running back Travis Etienne Jr. as he was yards away from scoring a third-quarter touchdown low-lighted the Jaguars’ second-half efforts at Hard Rock Stadium.

They followed a first half in which Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence went 9-of-14 passing for 125 yards and one touchdown, to rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., Etienne found the end zone and first-year kicker Cam Little connected on the first field goal attempt of his career.

After only scoring on its final possession of the first half, limited before that to under 4.1 yards per play, Miami capitalized on Etiienne’s fimble immediately with Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa finding receiver Tyreek Hill for an 80-yard touchdown pass the next play.

While he missed his first field goal attempt of the day, from 42 yards away, Miami kicker Jason Sanders nailed his next two tries, including a 52-yard game-winner as time expired.

“It was just kind of a tale of two halves, really,” Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said after the game. “You know, we made plays in the first half, they made plays in the second half. So, credit them.”

Jacksonville will host Cleveland in its 2024 home opener next Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, at EverBank Stadium.

Jaguars vs. Dolphins: TV broadcast map for Week 1

The Jaguars and Dolphins’ season-opening matchup in Miami will be available to view throughout the entire state of Florida and most of the southeast including Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina, according to 506sports’ television map for Week 1.

Kickoff between Jacksonville and Miami is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Find the full viewing map for CBS broadcasts below.

The Jaguars enter the campaign with high internal expectations, aiming for a return to and a winning push in the postseason after crumbling late last year, watching an 8-3 record slip into a 9-8 mark that led Jacksonville to be eliminated from playoff contention in Week 18.

Jaguars owner Shad Khan put it simply during a team meeting aired in Jacksonville’s “The Hunt” series: “Winning now is the expectation.”

Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson echoed those sentiments this week.

“I think he’s right on. I think that is our expectation. It’s always our expectation,” Pederson said Monday. “Each year, you put together and you assemble the best team the best set of coaches and you’ve got to put in the time. You’ve got to work hard.

“[Khan] sees what we’ve done the last two years and the successes that we’ve had, but he also knows—and we know—that we’re better than the way we finished last year. I think that’s something that he alluded to. But he’s right. That’s the expectation and we’re all held to that.”

Three key matchups for Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Miami Dolphins

The Jacksonville Jaguars kick off their regular season with a road trip to South Florida to take on the Miami Dolphins in a significant early-season game on Sunday.

Both teams enter the 2024 campaign with eyes toward the postseason. Jacksonville is looking to return to the playoffs after squandering a healthy record late in the season while Miami is eyeing a third consecutive trip.

Week 1 does not always offer a clear snapshot of a team’s strengths and weaknesses. However, it will allow the Jaguars to assess theirs against an opponent some consider possible Super Bowl contenders.

Identifying the key battles this weekend is important. With that in mind, here are three matchups the Jaguars must win to pull off a victory in Miami Gardens.

Jacksonville’s defense vs. Miami’s offense

These two units are the strengths of their respective teams and should provide an enticing head-to-head matchup.

The Dolphins have one of the most explosive offenses in the league due to the brilliance of head coach and offensive play-caller Mike McDaniels. He takes after his former coach in San Francisco, Kyle Shanahan, with exotic formations, route concepts, shifts and motions that generate chaos and confusion with opposing defenses.

One thing that should comfort Jaguars fans is that Jacksonville has a defense that is more than capable of slowing down the speedy talents of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

Defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen is one of the few in his position that gets his players to elevate their play while remaining disciplined, as seen in the tremendous growth of Atlanta’s defense under his leadership last year.

While the Jaguars have some depth questions at cornerback, Nielsen has a defensive line capable of generating pressure off four-man rushes alone.

No matter how it’s put, Miami’s offense remains a tough one to tame. The biggest question around this unit is whether it can become more physical up front despite losing guard Robert Hunt in free agency offseason.

Bringing a physical element versus the run and remaining even-keeled against a terrific wide receiver duo will be a significant key in Jacksonville’s hopes of winning this game.

Protecting Trevor Lawrence from the Dolphins’ pass rush

When a team has a franchise quarterback as Jacksonville and Miami do, protecting its star is of utmost importance. Having a capable offensive line is a necessary step in that direction.

The Jaguars’ offensive line looks to be a much more steady group after last season’s debacle. The team signed former Buffalo center Mitch Morse in the offseason, shoring up the middle of their line and giving Trevor Lawrence an added layer of protection.

This offensive line will take on a group that lost two key defensive linemen this offseason, Christian Wilkins and Andrew Van Ginkel. It’s unclear if star pass rusher Jaelan Phillips will be playing at full speed coming off a torn Achilles last season.

Yet, Miami’s defensive front and pass rush still feature a fair amount of talent for Jacksonville to contend with.

The Dolphins will likely deploy first-round selection Chop Robinson in sub-packages as a third-down pass rusher, using his speed and explosiveness to get by the likes of tackles Cam Robinson and Anton Harrison.

Defensive tackle Zach Sieler, meanwhile, could prove to be a handful for guards Ezra Cleveland and Brandon Scherff.

If the Jaguars can limit the Dolphins’ pressures while adding some creativity to their offensive scheme, their chances of victory will increase.

Trevor Lawrence vs. Tua Tagovailoa

While it’s impossible for quarterbacks to have a legitimate one-on-one matchup, the dual between these two signal callers will be quite intriguing for fans of both teams and those of the wider NFL.

Lawrence and Tagovailoa were on the receiving end of historic contract extensions this offseason, with the former receiving a five-year, $275 million extension and the latter four years, $212.4 million.

Now, the two quarterbacks will go toe-to-toe to showcase why they deserved their top-dollar contracts.

The biggest question with Lawrence entering the season is if he can remain consistent and play to the level that got Jacksonville off to an 8-3 start in 2023.

The former No. 1 overall selection is looking to prove he is still one of the better signal-callers in the game. The former Clemson standout had issues last season with protecting the ball and some have questioned whether he still be an elite quarterback in the NFL.

This will be a good first test for Lawrence against a defense coached by new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver. There’s no question he’s a better talent than Tagovailoa, but both have their own approaches to how they play.

Tagovailoa understands how to operate the offense he plays while being a high-level processor to distribute the ball to his playmakers. Lawrence has the same capability but with a gunslinger mentality, inviting risks. Who makes the biggest throw in the biggest moment will be key on Sunday.

The Dolphins will likely be another strong defensive unit that will likely give any quarterback fits, especially with safety Jevon Holland and, if he is available, cornerback Jalen Ramsey in the secondary.

A win and a strong outing by Lawrence & Co. at Hard Rock Stadium will give Jacksonville a bolt of confidence heading into their home opener against the Cleveland Browns.